Roots and Wings Therapy in Dixon helps clients heal through art, traditional therapy

In a light-filled studio just off Dixon’s First Street, therapy does not always start with talking; sometimes, it begins with the stroke of a paintbrush.

Roots & Wings Therapy offers traditional talk and creative arts therapy services for people of all ages. The practice features two additional clinicians, a large art studio with a smaller gallery space up front and traditional therapy rooms in the back.

“We usually show people both spaces, and then give the client the choice of what feels like the best fit for them,” owner Stacy Barber said. “Some people do a little bit of both, but art therapy and counseling have the same goal – to help people who are struggling with mental health. It’s just a little bit different avenue and how we’re going to help them get there.”

Barber is a licensed clinical professional counselor and art therapist. She said traditional counseling typically focuses on talking clients through different experiences and emotions.

While art therapy also involves conversation, the creative process itself can soothe and engage clients, especially children and teens, who may struggle to open up to a stranger about difficult feelings.

“For other people, we might be making art that’s specifically about an issue or a problem in their lives they’re looking for clarity on,” Barber said. “Creating things about it can help, either while they’re making it or after they make it. We can take a look at it and ask, ‘We noticed this about your image. What do you think that means for you?’”

But Barber said the therapy is not about interpreting someone’s artwork for them.

“A big misconception about art therapy is that we have a client make an image and then we can diagnose them based on what they drew,” Barber said. “That’s far from the case. They’re always the expert on what they make and what it means to them. We just help them ask a lot of questions and help them arrive at their own understanding of their pieces.”

Barber started her practice in 2017, initially working in the former Dixon Now Care building before moving to her current location at 213 W. First St.

She had originally considered medical school, “...but I hated chemistry. My brain just wasn’t a good fit for it,” Barber joked. “I needed to pivot...Then I heard about art therapy in college and shadowed with an art therapist at the Rockford rescue mission, and fell in love with it.”

Roots & Wings Therapy accepts most major commercial insurance policies. For a free phone consultation, call 815-677-9020 or message them through their Facebook page.